Fronteras Desk

Americans as independent voters

Former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson explains why he’s an independent and an advocate for open primaries.

Johnson says being nonpartisan is a nice system to work under, and people are more diverse and friendly. He says working with a partisan system brings more extreme people to cater to, and independent voters are left on the sidelines. Johnson says partisanship leads to extremes and disconnect between things that should be connected, like having to choose between being pro-employer and pro-employee. Johnson says an open primary system -- in which the top two finishers, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election -- will make elected officials better and voters happier.